Kitty Gets "aggressive" with Company

I have a very dominant male cat. It is so bad that anytime I have people over he is aggressive with them. For example I had my dad over recently. While my dad was seated, the cat was fine. But when my dad stood up, the cat ran at him and hissed. How can I help my cat behave better?

Answer:

Hi Anna, I am not seeing this as dominant but rather the kitty is uncomfortable and fearful. What is he doing other than hissing? Did he come to you as an undersocialized cat? or kitten? did he have exposure to people when he was growing or when he first came to your home? This could all effect how he behaves in unfamiliar territory. Generally, I see the kitty take off if not acclimated so this raises many questions for me as to his behavior, some of which i will ask... How long have you had him? Is this a new behavior? Was he exposed to people coming over when he was a younger cat? Do you know his history? Is he ordinarily a good cat outside of this issue? Has he been checked for any medical issues? I would have a good kind holistic vet do a home visit and rule this out. If it is not medical i would begin a ginger process of desensitizing and acclimating him to unfamiliar stimuli. DO NOT punish him because you will make his behavior worse. Keep him separate from company but in a place where he can safely observe. (behind a glass door or window or something) Do you notice if this is just directed towards males or both males and females? Only adults? kids? Have you diverted/discouraged the behavior and nipped the stalking posture the moment you saw it ORIGINATE? Until he is assured keep him in his "safe place" where he can witness but not be with company. When after many times he is settled and comfortable while watching company from another safe area ...and when company is occupied and if he is relaxed enough (which will be shown by if he does indeed play) you can wave a wand toy or string to keep him focused on something else and to build positive association with company. Good things happen when company comes, he gets treats and gets played with by you. Eventually, you build the understanding, that company is safe to be around and he relaxes. The next two paragraphs are cut and paste from vet.cornell edu on fear aggression in felines: ******My ordinarily nice cat gets very agitated whenever anyone new comes into the house; she has even attacked some visitors. These are signs of fear aggression a defensive behavior toward unfamiliar stimuli, like people, animals, and noises. Unpleasant experiences, like a trip to the veterinarian's office, may also trigger fear aggression. A cat displaying this sort of aggression hisses, bares her teeth, and crouches low with her tail and legs tucked under her body. Her ears are flat against her head, her pupils are dilated, and her fur stands on end. The management of this problem involves identification and, if possible, avoidance of fear-eliciting stimuli. You can attempt a gradual desensitization program, in which your cat is exposed to such stimuli a safe distance away for short periods of time, then rewarded with food treats for non-aggressive behavior. For example, if your cat has a fear of men, a man might stand at a distance that does not trigger aggressive behavior in your cat. Your cat gets a treat for her calm demeanor. With each session, the man moves closer, and gradually, the cat learns to associate the man's presence with a tasty treat*********** Back to my words.... I would recommend trying this and be gentle with him it is fearful behavior, not dominant behavior. On a side note with a cat that was aggressive: I once had a client that couldn't understand why her cat would growl when anyone got close, but I quickly learned he was pretty awfully treated by her very young brother as a young cat who would corner the cat and hit him continually on the head with a wand toy and newspaper and not let the cat escape. If the cat did escape the teenager would chase him and pull him out of his hiding place. It was really disturbing among other things he did. This would be a different reason as to why he later became "aggressive." I hope this information helps you and good luck with the process. Shanti